Tourists visit the fish sauce production area at Khai Hoan fish sauce barrel house on Phu Quoc island. (Photo: Le Huy Hai/VNA) The profession of making fish sauce has existed for over 200 years and has been associated with the cultural life of the people of Phu Quoc island city. On May 27, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 1730/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing the profession of fish sauce making in Phu Quoc, Duong Dong ward, An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city. Kien Giang province is a national intangible cultural heritage. It can be said that, in the context of difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, this is still a great joy, a motivation for people making fish sauce in Phu Quoc to continue preserving and promoting the quintessence of fish sauce. traditional profession left by his father. Chairman of the Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association, Ho Kim Lien, said that Phu Quoc waters have many types of seaweed and plankton which are the main food source for anchovies, the main raw material for making fish sauce. Therefore, anchovies grow abundantly in this sea. More than 200 years ago, the profession of making fish sauce existed in Phu Quoc, people caught fresh anchovies and salted them right on the ship, before bringing them back to brew in barrels. Incubating anchovies in wooden barrels is a feature of Phu Quoc fish sauce making. Boi Loi is a type of wood used to make fish sauce barrels, which are abundant in Phu Quoc forest. The longer the barrel is left, the stronger the wood, the better the quality of the fish sauce. The barrel has a round cylinder with a wide mouth, made from 55 boards of equal sizes: 2.2m long, 20cm wide, 6cm thick; The diameter of the barrel mouth is about 3.2m, the bottom is about 2.6m. The barrel is strapped with green rattan in the forest. Ms. Ho Kim Lien said that fish sauce production is based on traditional manual methods with the recipe of 3 anchovies + 1 salt. It takes 10-15 months to produce fish sauce. From the first to the last water will be divided into different types of fish sauce, with different protein levels; Depending on the ratio of protein more or less from 20-43 protein, the price of fish sauce is different. Phu Quoc fish sauce has a brown color of cockroach wings with a characteristic flavor of mild aroma, salty taste, and sweet aftertaste. According to Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association, Phu Quoc fish sauce began to thrive and flourish from 1945 to now. Since 1998, with the support of the French Embassy in Hanoi, the Ministry of Fisheries and the province Kien Giang conducting registration dossiers for geographical indications, on June 1, 2001, Phu Quoc fish sauce was the first product to be registered in Vietnam. In July 2013, the European Union (EU) awarded the “Phu Quoc” certificate of origin for Vietnamese fish sauce products in Brussels (Belgium). In August 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Trade handed over this certificate to the representative of the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc island district and the Association Phu Quoc fish sauce Since then, Phu Quoc fish sauce products have been protected and developed up to now. Currently, Phu Quoc city has about 100 fish sauce factories, concentrated in Duong Dong and An Thoi wards. The source of raw anchovies is currently limited, from now to 2025, Phu Quoc strives to produce 12 million liters of fish sauce per year on average. Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association was established in October 2000, currently has 53 members. Chairman of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association Ho Kim Lien said that, in addition to the advantages of being protected by geographical indications, Phu Quoc fish sauce craft villages are always respected by the People’s Committee of Kien Giang province and the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc city. focus on maintaining and developing. Over the years, consumers everywhere have known about the Phu Quoc fish sauce brand, helping to sell more traditional products of the craft village. This is also a tourism products unique in the island city of Phu Quoc, attracting tourists to visit, learn about craft village culture in particular and discover the cultural life of people on Ngoc island. According to Ms. Ho Kim Lien, the difficulty of the current Phu Quoc fish sauce industry is that a part of consumers has not yet identified the genuine Phu Quoc traditional fish sauce, so the price is not stable. Currently, there is no planning for Phu Quoc fish sauce craft village, so the craft village has not been concentrated into a sightseeing place for tourists. To meet the development of craft village , Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association hopes that there should soon be a concentrated craft village planning to stabilize production and business, create a favorable development environment for craft villages; At the same time, there is a gathering place, serving to introduce and promote the traditional fish sauce craft to visitors. Chairman of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association Ho Kim Lien said that in the coming time, Phu Quoc fish sauce will focus on developing quality rather than quantity, to continue affirming the quality of the brand. After being recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Quoc fish sauce making continues towards being recognized by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage. . This helps increase the brand value of Phu Quoc fish sauce, contributes to raising the local cultural heritage, and helps promote the image of the beautiful island city of Phu Quoc to international friends.

Barrel house in Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc fish sauce making has existed for a long time, and is a unique feature in the life of the people of Phu Quoc in particular and the life of the people of Kien Giang in general. Phu Quoc fish sauce making profession is associated with the formation and development of Phu Quoc from the time it was a remote island district to the brilliant first island city of Vietnam. In Decision No. 1730/QD-BVHTTDL issued on May 27, 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided: “Included into the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage: Traditional Crafts , Folk knowledge – Making fish sauce in Phu Quoc”. Decision on recognition of national intangible cultural heritage. Although there has been a contraction due to the rapid development of tourism, at present, Phu Quoc still has more than 100 fish sauce production facilities, mainly concentrated in Duong Dong and An Thoi, estimated output on 10 million liters/year. In Phu Quoc, there are families who make fish sauce from father to son and maintain their reputation from generation to generation. Fish sauce production facilities are called barrel houses. Phu Quoc fish sauce is famous for its high protein content, sweet taste, and the aroma of striped anchovy, a specialty only Phu Quoc has. The fishing season for striped anchovies is mainly from July to December every year. When the fish net has just been pulled up, it will be picked up with a racket, removed impurities and washed with sea water, then immediately mixed with salt with the ratio of 3 fish to 1 salt, then taken to the ship’s hold. This way of mixing fresh fish keeps the fish meat from decomposing, fish sauce has the highest protein content, and does not have a bad smell. Honoring the profession of making fish sauce adds to the cultural value of the island city of Phu Quoc. The standard brewing process of Phu Quoc fish sauce is 12 months. After that, the new fish sauce is drawn in order, initially the fish sauce has a protein content of over 30, followed by a long fish sauce with a protein level of over 20. After draining the protein in the chuop, all kinds of sauces. The fish sauce is mixed to have the highest protein content according to the natural method. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Diep Mai – Deputy Director of Kien Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Quoc fish sauce making is the first national intangible cultural heritage of Kien Giang. In July 2020, Nam O fish sauce craft village in Da Nang was also recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

No longer a pristine, quiet island as before, Phu Quoc in recent years has “changed flesh” attracting thousands of tourists every year. The natural scenery of the clear waters, mixed between forests and streams, has helped Phu Quoc bring a proud name, the pearl of the South. And it would be a mistake to ignore the unique cuisine with many unique flavors here, such as herring salad. To be able to make this attractive dish, the people of Phu Quoc have chosen the herring that has just been caught from the sea still fresh. That is why the dish is delicious and guaranteed to be hygienic. After being processed and washed, herring can be prepared with a salad. The ingredients used to mix with herring include shredded onions, purple onions, chili and grated coconut. To be able to make this attractive dish, the people of Phu Quoc have chosen the herring that has just been caught from the sea still fresh. That is why the dish is delicious and guaranteed to be hygienic. After being processed and washed, herring can be prepared with a salad. The ingredients used to mix with herring include shredded onions, purple onions, chili and grated coconut. As for herring salad, you will definitely use the famous Phu Quoc fish sauce mixed with lemon, sugar, garlic, chili and small roasted peanuts until sour, salty, sweet flavors blend together. And another indispensable part in Phu Quoc herring salad is rice paper and vegetables. Vegetables here can be lettuce, herbs, cinnamon, leaves or fresh green forest vegetables in Phu Quoc. The right way to enjoy the style of this salad is to eat it with rice paper. Pack raw vegetables, lettuce, fresh fish and add a few strands of coconut, roasted peanuts … inside the thin, thin piece of cake. Dab the salad gently in the thick fish sauce, put it in your mouth to feel the delicacy of each flavor. “Hidden” inside the supple outer layer is a piece of fresh and sour fish that is soft and melts right away when touching the lips. Then somewhere mixed crispy coconut fiber, fat leopard, cumin or roasted peanuts. Chewing while feeling each level of taste spread and thanks to the fish sauce, the dish seems to be raised to new heights. Herring salad is simple, rustic, but has a very strong attraction. Each ingredient is nothing special, but when “shaking hands”, it creates a song that fervently holds the diners. Initially, there were many people who would be afraid to try this raw salad, but when they missed out on discovery, they kept lingering about the taste buds forever. Herring salad is a popular and popular dish in Phu Quoc, so you can find this dish anywhere on the island. With only 30,000 VND per plate for 2 people to eat, visitors can comfortably enjoy this specialty. (According to GiadinhNet)

The delicious dishes using Phu Quoc fish sauce are prepared by professional chefs. Phu Quoc is not only famous as a paradise of tourism and relaxation but also a paradise of cuisine, with fresh seafood and famous fish sauce products that have been preserved for hundreds of years. Setting national records contributes to promoting the specialty brand of Phu Quoc fish sauce with a variety of culinary dishes serving tourists; spread the use of fish sauce products in Vietnamese cuisine, thereby developing traditional culinary tourism of Phu Quoc. Mrs. Ho Kim Lien – President of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association said: “Until now, Phu Quoc fish sauce is still sold and served in tourism. With the program of 100 delicious dishes using traditional fish sauce, we want to promote Phu Quoc fish sauce; this product not only stops at the sauce but also becomes a specialty, indigenous cultural heritage of Phu Quoc “. A member of the Vietnam Record organization watched the show 100 delicious dishes. Mr. Ho Dac Thuan – Director of City Center for Culture, Sports and Broadcasting. Phu Quoc said that setting a record this time to propagate to all Phu Quoc people to preserve their local traditions and to preserve Phu Quoc fish sauce products. This is also a program to promote and introduce tourists to Phu Quoc on the occasion of 30/4 – 1/5 to enjoy the special culinary features of Phu Quoc and Vietnam./.